Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Posthumous Lloyd’s Bravery Medal awarded to Third Radio Officer Richard Phillips, S.S. Empire Byron, killed in action on Convoy ‘PQ17’ and awarded a Posthumous Commendation

Lloyd’s Medal for Bravery at Sea (Third Radio Officer Richard Phillips, S.S. “Empire Byron”, 4th July 1942) in case its gilt embossed fitted case of issue, extremely fine £800-£1,000

Posthumous Commendation London Gazette 6 October 1942: ‘For services when SS Empire Byron was torpedoed and sunk whilst part of North Russian Convoy PQ17 in July 1942.’

Posthumous Lloyd’s Medal for Bravery at Sea Lloyd's List and Shipping Gazette 31 August 1943 [joint citation]: ‘SS Empire Byron. This ship took part in a North Russian Convoy which was subjected to heavy enemy air attacks. When his vessel was hit by a torpedo Captain Wharton saw the crew away and then left by a raft, from which he transferred to a lifeboat. He divided the men in the three boats between the two big boats. After covering a distance of 250 miles in 52 days they were rescued. Captain Wharton’s courage, determination and powers of command were outstanding during the enemy attacks and it was mainly due to his leadership fine example in the boat that many lives were saved. Third Radio Officer Phillips gave his life through splendid devotion to duty. He carried the portable wireless set to the lifeboat, and despite entreaties to get into the boat he returned to the Bridge to see if he was required by the Master. He lost his life while trying to get away in the port bridge boat’.

P.Q. 17: ‘Empire Byron’ and her brave Radio Officer

At the end of June 1942, the new 6,645-ton Ministry of War Transport Empire Byron joined 35 Merchantmen to form the ill-fated North Russian Convoy PQ17. Carrying vital war supplies for the Red Army, and under the Close Escort of 11 Destroyers and Corvettes, the Merchantmen followed the usual summer route north of Iceland and, after the Escorts had refuelled at Reykjavik, north of Bear Island in the Barents Sea, and into Kola Inlet, North Russia. To as far as Bear Island, the Convoy and Escort was to be covered by the 1st Cruiser Squadron, comprising H.M.S. London, H.M.S. Norfolk, the U.S.S. Tuscaloosa and U.S.S. Wichita. Standing off to the north-east of Jan Mayen Island, distant heavy support was to be further provided by the Commander-in-Chief Home Fleet, Sir John Tovey in the York, the Battleship U.S.S. Washington, the British Cruisers Cumberland and Nigeria, and a further 14 Destroyers.

Incomplete intelligence was received at the Admiralty that the Battleship Tirpitz had put out of her Norwegian anchorage and was at sea heading for PQ17. Staff Officers at the Admiralty and Tovey at sea disagreed, but were unfortunately overruled, and in an unfortunate example of ‘back-seat driving’, Admiral Pound ordered the 1st Cruiser Squadron to withdraw westward at nigh speed, and signalled PQ17’s Close Escort Commander at 0923 hours on 4 July: ‘Immediate. Owing to the threat of surface ships convoy is to disperse and proceed to Russian ports’. Minutes later, the First Lord urgently repeated: ‘Most Immediate. My 9.23 of the 4th. CONVOY IS TO SCATTER’. By evening, the east-bound Merchantmen and Close Escort were fatally strung out over 25 miles of wild Arctic sea. Junkers 88 aircraft from the Third Squadron of KG30 swarmed in to cripple the cordite-laden Bolton Castle and Zaafaran, while Admiral Schmundt’s ‘Ice Devil’ Submarines hastened to pick off stragglers ‘in a U-Boat’s’ paradise’. All in all they sent to the bottom in the holds of 25 ships, 210 aircraft, 430 tanks, 3,350 trucks and nearly 100,000 tons of spare parts and other supplies desperately needed by the Red Army; it reeled before the murderous advance of German Army Groups A and B. To the survivors of PQ17 it appeared that the preservation of British and American capital ships was more valuable than the convoy, the war material carried, and indeed, the seamen who perished.

6 a.m. found the crew of the PQ17’s Rear-Commodore’s Ship Empire Byron exhausted after 36 hours at action stations. The Master, Captain Wharton, had fallen asleep in an armchair having given up his bunk to the Lieutenant-in-Charge of the Maritime Artillery Unit who had been on alert even longer. It was the Empire Byron’s second North Russian Convoy and in her hold she carried a precious cargo of the new Churchill Tanks. Two miles away, at 07:15, Lieutenant-Commander Bielfeld of U -703 launched two torpedoes, both of which passed harmlessly ahead of the target. Biefeld believed he had missed astern, so added a couple of knots to the Merchantman’s estimated speed, and fired tubes II and IV. When the torpedoes missed even farther ahead, he hastened his crew to turn the boat round so as to bring her stern tube to bear. An hour later U-703 was again in an attacking position, but this time the ship’s speed had been accurately determined at eight knots. There was no doubt about the fifth torpedo, and at 08.27 Empire Byron received a direct hit in the Main Engine-Room. Wharton was so soundly asleep that he had to be woken by the Gunnery Lieutenant who informed him of the torpedoing. ‘He looked outside: there was pandemonium as the crew were already struggling to leave the ship; three of the four lifeboats had been lowered, and the fourth was on its way down. Wharton went to the Bridge to see that all papers and documents were destroyed. The Second (sic) Radio Officer, a Manchester man, asked whether he should fetch an emergency wireless for use in the boats, but Wharton told him the set had already been sent aboard them . . . Wharton dived into the sea. He was picked up by a raft, and transferred to one of the lifeboats. He ordered all the men to concentrate in two of the lifeboats, one of which had an engine. There were several bodies in the sea, one of which he recognised to his horror as being that of the young Manchester Radio Officer to whom he had spoken only minutes before . . .’ Together with the Mancunian Third Radio Officer Richard Phillips, the sinking of the Empire Byron resulted in the loss of two other crew, three Gunners trapped below, and one passenger.